Falling Stars
by xxphoenixfallenxx
Summary: After the war, the Karakura team returns home, trying to restart their lives. There they meet the mysterious Mitsuki Hadara, who is taking over Hollow killing in Karakura for them. The group begins to accept her as one of their own. However, Mitsuki carries a secret that puts everyone in danger. Can she trust them? Can they forgive her? And can her soul be saved? Chad/OC!
1. Post-Winter

**Disclaimer: Do not own Bleach or any related content or characters. Mitsuki Hadara is mine.  
Note: This is my own version of what happened in the Bleach universe. I apologize for any inaccuracies and am welcome to corrections, but keep in mind this is my story. Thanks all, ENJOY!**

Tired. That was all Chad ever felt anymore. Tired, sore, drowning. The war had left its mark on him, body and soul. Where once he was a shadow, often passing without much notice, now he was invisible. So withdrawn from the world around him.

People noticed the change in the four the moment they returned to school. Ichigo, who's expression usually warded off anyone wanting to bother him, was now blank, impassive, silent. His eyes were equally blank, seeing everything and nothing all at once. He barely spoke.

Orihime's bubbly ditsy personality was gone. She was quiet, controlled, soft spoken, yet hardened somehow. She looked sad more often than not. She was fiercely protective of her boys as well, giving anyone hell if they started harassing them.

Uryu somehow managed a facade of normalcy, to a degree. He was certainly more jumpy than he had been, flinching at sudden sounds. He had lost all drive, and more often than not sat in a daze throughout his classes.

And Chad. Always at the back of the class, quiet, calm. Now he drifted about, silent, a wall put up between him and everyone else. Always looking tired. His eyes showing he had seen too much.

At lunch, they sat together, barely ever speaking beyond simple greetings and one word responses. More often than not they would pick at their food and not eat much of it. The teachers noticed, called Uryu and Ichigo's parents, questioning what was going on. Issin said Ichigo's uncle had passed. Ryuken said Uryu had gotten a rare illness and was still recovering. No one could speak for Chad and Orihime.

Hollows would always be around, of course. Regardless of the war they would always exist.

On that particular day, Chad was walking home from school. Orihime often walked with him, since they lived in the same general direction. She was a comfort to him, just her presence. Being around Ichigo often made Chad feel worse. He wondered if somehow things could have been different, and that his friend would not be a shell of who he once was.

As they walked, they both felt it at the same time. A Hollow was nearby. A new one, nothing they couldn't handle. Chad glanced at Orihime and winced at the expression on her face. She looked about ready to cry.

"Go home, Orihime. I'll take care of it." Chad said quietly.

"No, it's ok. I wouldn't want anything to happen to you." She said quickly, and flashed him a rare smile.

He nodded, and sighed as they took off running. Chad wasn't surprised to see Ichigo and Uryu already near where the Hollow was. Ichigo was expressionless, and Uryu looked irritated.

"This is not what I planned on dealing with today." Uryu growled.

Chad looked below where they were standing, into the ravine. The Hollow was slowly making its way along the side of the reserve stream, slow and meandering.

"Let's get this over with." Ichigo said blankly.

The four jumped down into the ravine simultaneously, surrounding the Hollow. It stopped short, then slowly looked at each of them.

"Well isn't it my lucky day. Four high energy morsels to fill me up and-" It hadn't even finished when Ichigo slammed Zangetsu down through the mask.

The Hollow let out a shriek that physically sickened each member as it shattered and disappeared. They all glanced at one another, then moved to leave.

"Hey!" A sharp voice yelled from above.

All four stopped as a Soul Reaper dropped down into the place the Hollow had been.

She appeared to be their age, with black hair coiled tightly against the back of her head, held by two pins with a ruby on the end of each, and eerie gold colored eyes. She was tan, like she spent most of her days out in the sun, and Chad noticed her knuckles on both hands were scabbed over. The insignia on her sleeve was from the 11th division, but they had never seen her before. She waved her zanpakuto, a long black katana with bright red ribbon around the handle, at them angrily.

"What the hell are you guys doing? Don't you know how to take a vacation?" She snapped.

Uryu raised an eyebrow, glancing at the others. Ichigo looked slightly irritated at the sword being waved in his face. Orihime looked confused, and Chad remained blank.

"Did no one tell you?" She asked, cocking an eyebrow.

When no one responded, she let out a frustrated groan and sheathed her sword.

"Under strict orders, I hereby take over your duties here in Karakura for the foreseeable future. Apparently the higher ups are giving you a lifetime vacation for your services. In other words, leave the Hollows to me." She said, sounding bored with the speech she had given.

"And who are you, exactly?" Orihime asked.

The girl glanced at her and rolled her eyes.

"Ugh, all you people and your formalities. I am Mitsuki Hadara, 11th division, seventh seat. At your service." She gave an exaggerated bow.

She looked at each of them in turn, and then let out another exasperated groan.

"Go. Home. Come on guys, get! I'll get my ass kicked if Captain Zaraki finds out I let you kill a Hollow. Go!" She yelled at them.

The others glanced to Ichigo, their leader, waiting for his response. His eyes came to life, only to glare at her.

"Seventh seat? How did that happen? I don't think any of us recognize you, and we definitely know most of the Soul Reapers at this point." He said, a hint of a challenge coming to his voice.

Mitsuki turned her attention to him, and suddenly her eyes sharpened, intensified somehow.

"In the mess that was the war, whoever was 7th died, and since everyone else is all screwy with their positions, I went from 9th seat to 7th. Blah blah blah." She said, but the childish teasing that was present in her voice before was now missing.

"Now, if you're done interrogating me, I have work to do. I don't expect to meet you again under present circumstances that you are on vacation. Goodbye." She stated simply, and then in a single flash step was at the top of the ravine and gone.

"What the hell..." Ichigo growled.

"Do you think it's the truth?" Chad spoke up.

"I don't know... guess we'll find out."

And with that, the group headed to their homes.

That night, Chad dreamt of things other than the war, of the Hollows. He dreamt of black hair and burning eyes.

**Reviews please!**


	2. Sake and Swords

**Disclaimer: Do not own Bleach or any related content or characters. Mitsuki Hadara is mine.  
Note: This chapter won't be too long, I apologize. More on the way!**

Mitsuki sat against the wall, on a roof of some abandoned building in a shitty district, feeling the sun beat down on her. She closed her eyes, listening to the wind for a moment, before she sensed yet another Hollow. This town seemed to be crawling with them. Sighing, she climbed to her feet, pulling the top half of her uniform back over her shoulders. It was hot.

She easily took down the weak Hollow, and once it was finished she stood for a long moment, holding her zanpakuto over her shoulders. This was boring. She didn't know why she'd ever agreed to doing this in the first place.

When Captain Zaraki had first assigned her, she had demanded a reason. It was like being banished, being sent to the human world to exterminate Hollows, regardless of who it was for, and what the reason was. She was a fighter, a killer, not someone to go running around killing pests for fun. They hadn't even sent anyone to replace her, or to switch shifts with. She was here for an "undisclosed" amount of time.

There was not a single Hollow she had come across that posed any challenge to her. Her zanpakuto, Dokueki, craved a good fight, a challenge. She knew the feeling all too well. The other members of her division called her sword happy. Nothing did please her more than a good fight.

It was beginning to get dark. Mitsuki had established the abandoned building as her place while she was stuck here. She headed there, walking instead of using shunpo, to get a better feel of the town. The day was full of people rushing, _scurrying, _ everywhere: to work, to school, to some errand or other. The night was much more calm, more energetic, more fun.

Eventually she returned to the abandoned building, and went to the room with the least amount of ceiling leaks and holes. It even had a sturdy door. She had found an old futon and "borrowed" some clean sheets throughout the day, spreading them over it. Annoyed with her current predicament, Mitsuki removed her shinigami uniform and pulled on a white tank top and black pajama pants. She lit a few candles, and dug through her bag of measly possessions.

Zaraki had provided a small amount of the human world's currency, along with a list of information she might make use of. Written at the top of the list was a name and an address, with the word _supplies _written next to it, in Lieutenant Kusajishi's handwriting.

"Urahara, huh? That's interesting." Mitsuki mumbled to herself.

She didn't bother touching the meal Yumichika-kun had packed for her, and instead pulled out the bottle of sake she had bought just before leaving. It was the only thing that helped her relax, especially considering how irritated she was with the whole situation. After a few swigs, she reached deep into her bag, finding the old worn book at the bottom, wrapped quickly in a pillowcase from her room.

She pulled the book out and flipped it open, automatically to a page towards the back. An extremely worn sepia-toned photo was carefully taped to the page. She set the open book on her lap and continued drinking as she looked at the picture, running a thumb over it fondly.

"Hadara." The voice was so blunt and quick it nearly startled her, if she hadn't felt the spiritual pressure just moments before.

"Madarame-san." She said, quickly snapping the book shut and placing it back within the case.

Ikkaku entered the room quietly at her invitation, and plopped himself down right beside her. She handed the sake over, and he swiftly took a few sips before putting it back down.

"What did you do to get sent here?" Ikkaku asked, looking around the room.

"I was hoping you knew." Mitsuki replied, taking another drink.

Mitsuki had become fast friends with Ikkaku and Yumichika upon entering the 11th division. She was one of the first women to be in the 11th division in quite some time, and many of the men had challenged her upon arrival. Ikkaku and Yumichika also challenged her, but not as men against a woman, but simply to determine if she really belonged there.

While Mitsuki was quite skilled, she learned quickly that she was not the strongest or the fastest. Somehow, she became close with Ikkaku and Yumichika, and they helped train her, partly due to the fact no one else bothered with her. Together, they helped each other gain strength and speed, and over the hundreds of years, they remained friends.

"All Zaraki-taichou mentioned was that you could handle the place on your own." Ikkaku said gruffly.

Mitsuki sighed heavily. So not even Ikkaku knew why she specifically was sent here. There were plenty of shinigami above and below her that could handle this just as easily. So why her?

"I assume you've met Kurosaki and the others at this point?" He asked, taking another drink from the bottle.

"Yeah. They're a friendly bunch." Mitsuki said sourly.

Ikkaku just chuckled a little, and they continued to drink until the bottle was empty.

"So what are _you _doing here?" Mitsuki asked, frowning at the empty bottle.

"Abarai and I got sent in to check on some things. I'm sure you can imagine things are still a mess in the Soul Society, and everywhere else. No one is really sure what they're doing anymore. We're just following orders." Ikkaku said, sounding bored.

"So Renji's running around here somewhere and he didn't bother to stop and say hi?" Mitsuki replied, grinning for a moment.

"I'm sure he will before we go back." Ikkaku said, and grunted as he stood up.

He stretched and looked towards the single window of the room, but Mitsuki caught the twitch in his palm. It was so slight most might never notice, but she had been fighting him for so long she knew it from the corner of her eye. It was the slightest flex of the webbing between his thumb and pointer, but she saw it.

In an instant he was bearing down on her, his sword tearing through the wall right above her shoulder as she easily blocked her with her own.

"Really, Madarame? You think one day in the human world is going to slow me down any?" Mitsuki said, the slightest tease in her voice.

"Hey, don't start the party without me!" A boisterous voice filled the room, and the two grinned and Renji walked in.

"Party's over, we're out of sake." Ikkaku said, pulling his sword away.

Renji smirked and pulled a bottle from out of his uniform. The other two laughed.

The three shinigami spent the rest of the night drinking and sparring.

**Reviews please!**


	3. Venom

**Disclaimer: Do not own Bleach or any related content or characters. Mitsuki Hadara is mine.**

Throughout the day, the four felt Hollows, and then just as quickly those Hollows would be extinguished. Clearly the Soul Reaper was more than able to handle her duties. Still, Ichigo didn't like it. Some stranger killing Hollows in his hometown. But, like she said, they were on permanent vacation. Ichigo could use a breather.

The four passed through their days at school quietly, always on edge when they sensed the Hollow, always relieved when it was gone. Sometimes, they felt the spiritual pressure of Mitsuki Hadara. It was impressive for someone being 7th seat, even in the 11th division, Ichigo thought. However, unlike the others, who's spiritual pressure he could read, and they could read each others, reading emotions, he never felt anything from Hadara's pressure other than its presence. Odd.

* * *

Mitsuki stood, panting slightly, upon the roof of a warehouse. Hollows had been popping up quite a bit that day, and she had been running all over town to exterminate them. While the day had been quite hot, especially under her uniform, the night was surprisingly chilly, with a bite if she stood still for too long. She was about to head back to her place when yet another Hollow surfaced, not far from where she was. She groaned and was about to take off when she felt spiritual pressure quickly approaching from the same general direction as the Hollow.

She cursed and took off, only to arrive just as Kurosaki finished off the Hollow.

"Maybe I didn't make myself clear. You don't need to do this anymore, I got it." Mitsuki growled at him.

"I didn't come here for the Hollow." Ichigo said blankly, turning to her.

"Then what do you want?" Mitsuki asked.

"They sent you here to kill Hollows for us. Are you spying on us as well?" He asked bluntly.

Mitsuki sputtered, insulted.

"Why would I be spying on you? I'm here to relieve you of Hollow killing and do my job. It really makes no sense to me, considering you and your friends are more than capable of such a task, but orders are orders. They want you to take a break, for your service in the war. I'd take full advantage of that if I were you." Mitsuki said sternly.

This guy was really starting to annoy her, with his judgmental stares and the way his hand remained on his zanpakuto. Couldn't he take a hint and go home? This job was irritating enough without being constantly interrupted.

"What I don't get is why _you_ specifically are here. The 7th seat of a division. Surely you fought in the war? Don't you need a break after all that fighting, all that killing? Or did you not fight?" Ichigo asked.

One of her many wounds earned in that war stung painfully up her arm as a reminder that yes, she most certainly did fight. She had killed more than she had bothered to count. And he clearly had forgotten her.

"Obviously you don't remember that I saved your ass during that war, boy." She snapped angrily, to which Ichigo looked confused.

Wordlessly Mitsuki pulled up the sleeve of her uniform, all the way to the shoulder. The wound was still bright red in its healing. It started on the back of her hand and spiraled up her arm tightly, the result of the Cero blast she had stopped with her bare hand to save Ichigo Kurosaki, a complete stranger, from being disintegrated. That had hurt.

"That was you?" Ichigo asked, amazed.

He had remembered feeling the blast from behind, and had turned to see a Soul Reaper somehow blocking the Cero blast using only her hand. Ichigo hadn't had long enough to see who it was, or how it was possible. He had only seen her fall, her arm shredded and gushing blood, and then he was being attacked by the one who had fired the Cero. When he had looked again, she was gone.

"Yeah, that was me. And unlike some, I was born for war. I don't need a break. They had to knock me out so I'd stay with the healers long enough to fix my arm." Mitsuki said, looking at the scar.

Ichigo noticed it was only one of many on her exposed skin, and remembered she was after all a member of 11th division. They lived to cut each other.

"Right..." Ichigo said.

Her presence had been making him uneasy as of late. He was suspicious. He was tired.

"Ichigo, I'm not happy to be here either. I know you can more than easily take care of every Hollow that comes your way. But I've been given orders, and if you and your friends keep getting in my way, there will be problems between us." Mitsuki said shortly. "I have told you before, and I will tell you again. My orders are to be here and kill Hollows. That's it. The less I see you and your friends the better."

Ichigo stared her down for a long moment, reading her spiritual pressure. Still, there was noting to read beyond the fact she had a lot of it. Could he trust her?...

"Fine." Ichigo said.

And with that he went home.

* * *

Mitsuki had gotten a Gigai from Mr. Urahara, and wandered the streets. Hollow activity had slowed down, and she was bored. She had lost count of how many nights it had been since she'd slept. She was exhausted, but she just couldn't bring herself to sleep. Her nightmares were coming back, and that meant-

Mitsuki groaned as she sensed another Hollow. It was late at night, barely anyone was out. It had just begun to rain as Mitsuki headed for the edge of town, where the Hollow had emerged.

* * *

Mitsuki breathed deeply, shaking, and she carefully pulled what looked like a stinger from her side. She groaned as it finally came out. Wiping her blood off of it with her sleeve, she sniffed at it.

"Great. Poison." She growled.

She unsheathed Dokueki and awkwardly held the blade over the gaping wound as it slowly gushed blood. She quickly sliced over the wound with her Zanpakuto, feeling Dokueki's anti-venom spread through her veins. She looked over to her Gigai and growled with frustration. She couldn't carry that thing all the way home in her current state. She slipped into it and tried to get home. She didn't make it far before she felt suddenly very weak.

She began to shake as she walked, struggling to keep moving. The anti-venom wasn't working fast enough. Mitsuki realized she wasn't going to make it home, and stumbled into an alley. She fell and couldn't get up, and she realized she'd fallen out of her Gigai. Just as she passed out, she saw someone standing at the other end of the alley.

* * *

_"Dai, run! Please!" Mitsuki screamed, struggling against the post she was tied to.  
__He gave her a sad smile, shaking his head no. "I can't leave you." He said softly.  
__He didn't fight as they grabbed him, beat him, tied him up. He didn't fight as they put him on the other side of the post from her. Didn't fight as they taunted him with the ends of their torches, burning each of them in turn. Didn't protest as they poured gasoline over his head.  
_"_Please, don't do this! He didn't do anything wrong!" Mitsuki screeched, fighting against her bonds._

_The last thing she remembered as they poured gasoline over her was Daikoku holding her hands, saying quietly, "Everything will be alright."_

* * *

Mitsuki awoke completely confused. It was dark in the room she was in. She was definitely not in her own bed. It was far too comfortable to be hers. She sat up slowly and froze. She was not in her Gigai, but she was not in her shinigami uniform either. Her eyes adjusted to the dark and she looked down at herself. She was in a huge T-shirt and a pair of gym shorts.

Mitsuki yanked the side of the shirt up and stared with wonder at the perfect skin where the wound had been. Suspicious and uneasy, Mitsuki got up and found her uniform neatly folded in a chair by the door. She changed and put Dokueki in its place on her hip. Cautiously she opened the door.

It was still dark outside. She walked quietly into the living room of an apartment. Mitsuki observed the room slowly. Where was her Gigai?She froze as she heard slow, deep breathing coming from the couch in front of her. She peered over the back slowly and blinked, surprised. It was one of the Karakura group, Chad.

Looking around one more time, Mitsuki decided she'd come back to find her Gigai later. She didn't like being in such an unfamiliar place. She still didn't understand how she'd been healed. Going out the door, Mitsuki slowly, carefully, closed the door behind her. Just as it shut she glanced back to see Chad's eyes were open and he was staring at her.

**Reviews please!  
**To answer a few questions you may have-  
You'll find out more about Mitsuki's flashback about Dai in later chapters.  
Dokueki means "venom" in Japanese, and has unique abilities, obviously venom, and anti-venom. It's abilities will also be discussed in later chapters.  
Thanks to everyone who is reading, following, and reviewing!


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